The Forestry Forum

Came clear home from da U.P. and blow a tire on da back of da truck 8 miles from da house. DRAT!  This is my first load of cedar log siding. Had the trailer loaded and the truck. Its kiln dried and not that heavy, I just needed new tires.

Just gotta say it aint no fun changing a tire on a friday afternoon along US 127 on the drivers side with truck traffic wizzing by that WONT get over in the far lane. I was scared ta death. Spent the afternoon getting some new shoes for da forestry forum truck. I guess 120 thousand on the old set was stretching things a mite.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar_siding1.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar_trim.jpg)

Dat's a big ol' pile of sticks, Jeff.  8)

Ya ain't lived till ya been standing next to a towtruck and one of dem $#&&^$&^# you found out about hits the tractor your trying to hook up to at 70mph! :o :o   Then ya got ta go try and save their life just after they almost killed you. ::) :-X :-/   Lots of tow truck drivers keep rocks handy so they can take out some glass when they get run up the side of their truck by some of dem nuts. :-/

 8) 8)Thats great looking siding ya got. 8) 8)
Andy

So, what are you going to do with all that cedar, Jeff?

I am going to create perhaps the first Earth Berm to log house conversion in history! :D

Tonight I made my first corner log from the cedar I got from Corley5, (Greg). I think it looks pretty snazy?  I'm taking a break to heal up from shingling before I get back to that.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/first_corner.jpg)

So its flat tires ya wanna talk about eh? Here's one for ya. ;)

This is when I worked on the Queen Charlotte Islands in B.C. Basically, out in the middle of the lost civilization of the Haida Gwai. We had a Toyota Land Cruiser (diesel). Well to set the stage, every wheel nut was robbed from other vehicles in the local scrap yard, and some wheels only had 5 out or 6 nuts in place. ;D Well, on the Charlottes if you want to go from Charlotte City to Sand Spit in your vehicle, its by ferry service. The ferry makes a return trip every hour. Well, we were on our way from work to the 5 o'clock ferry. About 1/4 miles from the terminal is a sharp left in the road with reflectors on the curb indicating its a dangerous curb. These reflectors are made of vynal or some plastic. We were making the curve in the Toyota and off pops a rear wheel. It shoots past the vehicle, strikes a reflector and leaves a black tread mark on the reflector. The spare in the rear pops up and knocks one of the guys in the back of the head. ouch! SO now we have to rob some of the remaining hub nuts off the other 3 hubs. ;D Remember they were all lacking nuts to begin with. We missed the 5 o'clock, but were ready and waiting for the 6 o'clock. The next day when returning from work,  no ferry this time, we had a flat and nearly home. 3rd day, another flat after fixing the first, the day before. Argg!! Now its time for some tires and replacement hub nuts while we're at it. Remember this is a remote area and you just don't have stock in a auto shop on a tiny little fishing village in the middle of the Pacific. So it was time for some days off, my neck was sore anyway from trying to take tree heights in stands of timber over 150 feet tall and on flat terrain, with evergreen salal vines crawling all over the forest. :D

Here is a link to some problems regenerating salal infested cutovers in BC

http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/schirp/homepage.html

Jeff:

This is cedar tongue and groove inside my den. I also have it up the stairway and in my office area, and part of the kitchen. My desk is cedar veneer.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar-tonguegroove.jpg)

Jeff,

The shingles and overhang are looking good.   8) 8)

I still got job openings Jeff if yer interested!  Think how in shape you'd be after a few years of roofing, what parts of yer body that weren't wore out that is. :)

Its funny, the parts thatare wore out from sawing never gave me a problem while roofin. It was all the other parts! :D  

Ck, you may have noticed I changed my plan. I decided to leave the overhang back 3 inches from the other roof. Its not even noticable really and sure saves some messing around. It leaves only that 8 inch long existing soar spot to deal with and with your advice, it is going to be far better then it was the first 20 years.

Glad to hear you got it finished.  I KNOW that's a good feeling, without a doubt.  I always like how a new dimensional roof changes the look of a house, for the better.  That along with that cedar siding and them cool corner pieces will really make that place shine.  Glad to help, what little I could.

I only got the first roof finished. :-/

Here is a picture of the end of the house with the second log corner in place. Does anyone know if there is any rules or regulations in regards to what I do around the meter that is visible? Its not possible to put my siding behind it without some major electrical work. What I would like to do is enclose it in cedar with a hloe for the meter to stick through. It would alos have a hinged access where that panel could be opened in case the meter needed work. Can I do that?

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/second_corner.jpg)

I'd think a call to your power company would be in order on that, Jeff. I've never seen a covered meter, so I'd assume it is not allowed. Perhaps you can just frame around the meter box and panel up to that.

Maybe thats what I'll do. Box in the conduit and side into that.

Just the posts on the corners really add to the house and look great. I can almost imagine how much better it will look when you are finished.  :)

Maybe a door on your boxed-in meter with a window 'port hole' would be sufficient for the meter reader, unless you have one like ours who just drives by (1/8-1/4 mile away) and gets a meter reading without even getting out of the truck.  
Mine semi-covered:
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/meter.jpg)


Do you have something else on that side of the house what shoots flames, or something? ;D  Looks a little dark above that ?? about center along the wall. Maybe just a vent?

Thats the fire place vent. No flames, but we got a little soot over the winter. I;'ll be talking to the fireplace shop to see what the adjustments are to make that thing burn more efficient.

Anudder corner...
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/corner3.jpg)

 8) 8) 8)  Looking good!!!!

Jeff,

I assume you cut out the back side of the log corners to leave an L shape. Is this correct?
I agree. Looks good all ready.

Yep, the log corners are pretty much just a shell. I start the cuts with s dewalt circle saw to get nice straight edges then go in with a chainsaw to finish cutting out the center. The one inside corner was made with one of the wedges cut from an outside corner I ran it down to the mill after getting it out and squared up two sides so it would fit in that inside corner.

Them big table saws are handy ??? ???

Jeff, I'm not sure what the rules are for the meter, but I do know that the fire dept. and others must be able to "pull" the meter in an emergency.
How I know that, doesn't matter.  ::)  ;D

That log corner looks really cool. I am a big fan of natural log stuff.

trimming da windows in. Still staying away from the shingling.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/windowtrim1.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/windowtrim2.jpg)

I got my feelings hurt  today.  I'm just about ready to run real electricity to my house.  Now the plan has always been to put the meter base at a gate about midways of my driveway with the wire run underground Found out today that the electric company will only run the wire underground if you have the meter base on your house.  They will furnish and run their wire underground to your meter base, but not inside to your breaker box. .  They use aluminum wire.  To put it where I want it and I will have to furnish my own wire, #2 copper, three strands burried in conduit.  Need to run it 147 feet.  That's a gonna make me have to buy 441 feet of that there #2 copper and trench my own hole.  Life is NOT fair!!!!

ck,

 ::)

No step for a stepper.

 :D

I hear ya CK, I need to buy a 500' roll of that wire for my garage. I started digging the trench in Oct. of 2001, and finally laid the conduit and backfilled last summer. Still don't have the wire run!!!  ::) :-/

Haytrader, STEPPING HIGH TODAY!!!!! ;D


About dinner after a mornings roofing I decided to go see that engineer for Tombigbee Electric  Power.  Decided before I was gonna buy this wire and do this thing I'd meet him face to face and get all the specifics, and options.

As I said on the phone he told me the only way to do it was with 2-0 copper, through conduit, even though if they did it they'd run aluminum wire, no conduit.  Was gonna be 147 times three, times the price of the copper which was over a dollar a foot.  Expensive.

Well I met him, we talked for a spell, and he told me if I'd put a disconnect at the meter, which I was gonna do anyways, I could go to buy the same wire they'd use, and run it underground two foot, coming up into a sweeping ell, and conduit, into the house, and into the cutoff and then the meter  box out by the gate, plus an extra ground rod. Told me I could put the meter on a 6 foot tall pressure treated pole. Told me where to go and what to ask for including 1-0 triplex aluminum wire, disconnect, enough conduit and sweeps for the poles,  the connectors to connect the conduit to the boxes, the ground wire, the ground rods, the clamps, pretty much everything I'd need.  

They was gonna charge me about a dollar a foot to go underground, but wanted the meter on my house.  That's about 140 dollars.  Total cost of materials to do it my way.  Two hundred and forty-nine dollars, plus I'll have to rent a ditch-witch a couple a hours in the morning.   ;D

On top of that he told me  that when they come out next week to hook up real power they'd leave me enough wire to run to my shop.  8) 8) 8)

  I've found them eye to eye discussions are the ONLY way to get what you want. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. ::) ;D ;D

 :D :D

Yup, look at all them high step'n smilies tonight :) :) I'm glad everything come through for ya cktate :) So, when ya comin up to wire up my new shop?....erm.....well lets wait till I get it built first. That's what I call a long range plan, think and plan and dwell on it a long time, then do something about it once I got the $$. Oh well, I got a long way 'til retirement yet. :D ;D


cheers :)

Still at it. At least i am at the far end. :) Got the overhangs all done and most of the cedar facia on today. Tomorrow I should have this part of roof finished up and ready for shingles the next time I see a couple of nice days in a row coming.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/east_overhang.jpg)

It looks like you are doing a very fine job, Jeff. Keep up the good work. I really lie those cedar corners, the rest is goinmg to make them look even better.

 :D

erm.. So when did ya say you was come'n up to help with the new windows and cement work? ;D

Look'n good their boss  8)  erm , ok that's enough from me for now.  :D

Woo hoo!  We got one "step" completed. Pictured below is Tammy putting the final nails in the last piece of the new cedar facia. We went with a double board facia that really looks better then single. Its full 8 inch with a 3.5 on top.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/trim_tammy.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/trim_tammy2.jpg)

Lookin good boss, you'll soon have it all behind ya's. Hmm, I know Tammy loves to help ya and she's doing real good, but I can't help thinkin where that son of yours is. I gots to have a talk with that young feller. ;)

What style of siding are you going to put on the walls.

That son of mine is a long story. :-/  

The siding is t ang g cedar log. It has whats called a german peel. It looks like its all been done with a draw knive. Each piece is done by hand and is different from the other. It should look like real log when its done we hope. ::) :)

Truth is a lot of the time, I'M helping Tammy....  :)

Well, that's cool to.  8)

Jeff, maybe I ought to be trying to hire Tammy instead of you!!! :)

I bet it's a pretty good feeling having all them bundles of shingles already on the roof!!! 8)

Mr. Electric Engineer comes to my house this morning.  Yep, he says, you're right, you're gonna need a new pole and transformer.  I had done told him :)  They'll have to pay for that thank goodness!!!! ;D.  My grandpa bought this place in '54 and it's still the original pole and transformer. Then he halfway looks at the meter base and the 200 amp cutoff I put up and says that'll be fine, they should be out in the morning to hook you up.  And starts to jump back in his truck. No codes or inspectors out here except from the breaker box to the meter base. .

"Oh no you don't says I" but in a nice way, and then I get him to look over the whole setup in just a little more detail so he could tell me what I already knew!!!! :)  That I done a perfect job and even dug a extra trench for the wire from I had set my meter base to their pole while I was digging!!   ;D 8) 8)

Total cost wire and materials, 249.00, plus I sent for an extra ground rod, a couple of clamps, and a extra ground wire.  Probably less than 20 bucks.  89 dollars for a ditch digger for three hours.  Dug almost 140 feet from the house to the meter base, another 30 feet to their pole, and another 100 feet or so from the meter base to my shop.  Two feet deep.

Wait a minute, forgetting all the labor I and my kids and wife put into it!!!! ???

Oh well, at least I didn't 'roof' this past weekend. :)

Todays Picture. :)  

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/tammy_stains.jpg)

It's a DanG good thing I seen how low yur house is. Otherwise I'd be thinking dat Tammy is one TALL lady.

Cant tell much here, but we started putting on some siding.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/first_siding.jpg)

looks good jeff what kind of stuff you folks painting on that ceader  ???

Its sikkens natural cedar.

The cedar is beautiful, Jeff. You and Tammy are doing a fine job. We need to do the same thing on our office/house. We sided it when we built it 14 years ago with T&G western red cedar, but now it needs replaced bigtime. So many projects, so little time....

PAtty:

DId the cedar spoil that quick? I'm surprised. We found cedar layin in the mud from 50 years ago and sound after the first 3 inches of sapwood. Folks were gatherin it for shake blocks with helicopters. I'de like to see a piccy of the siding if you would. ;D

Hi Patty
I was thinkin the same thing about your sidding....maybe you could spray some of the newer wood restorative on instead ..........if it is the color/finish you dont like it will take it back to brand new look!....and a lot easier and cheaper...
Don

That sounds about right for Cedar Siding around here.  I don't know why but it splits and cracks and doesn't hold up well.  Then in the winter water gets in the splits and cracks and freezes and makes it worse.  I suspect it is partly from lack of maintenance, partly the climate, and partly the quality of the cedar.  I don't install cedar shake roofs at all.  The few that do get put on around here will look awfull in much less than ten years.


Mostly useless trivia.  I have seen barns and sheds with poplar siding that is pushing a hundred years old, and the wood is still not rotten.  This is largely due to air circulation and the wood being able to dry out rather than retain moisture. .  Put the same wood on the side of a house next to the osb and it will eventually fail..  Moisture gets trapped back there and can linger causing lots of problems.  

A simple solution when applying wood siding to a house is to first install laths so there can be an air space behind the wood, to allow it to dry out rather than retain moisture.  An alternative is to buy a 'rain screen' material and apply behind the siding.  Caulking the seams and joints can actually cause more problems than allowing the joints to somewhat open up so the wood can dry after a rain.

I suspect that the cedar 'in the mud' Swamp Donkey describes was somewhat protected in the same manner that it would have been if found underwater.  The fact that the layer of 'sapwood' was rotten might describe a lot of the sapwood in todays Cedar Siding.

I also believe that Sikkens is one of the better finishes to put on natural siding.  I make my own finish out of mineral spirits, linseed oil, wax, and zinc sulfate and zinc oxide.  How long it will hold up remains to be seen, but it is cheap and I will be keeping an eye on it, and recoat as needed.

I also treated my siding with a borate soulution, front and back before installing.  

One more thing, wood siding should NOT be allowed to touch the ground, if it does that will be the first place rot sets in.

CK:

I was thinking the same thing about that siding of Patty's, it must be alot of sapwood. Sapwood of red cedar just would not be stable enough for siding for long. Even better would be yellow cypress which in my honest opinion is practiclly indestructable unless ya burn it. But, its price is probably like gold, never seen it sold for siding in Canada, but the asian market demands it. The logs we found in the mud were not submerged, they were in mud because it rains all the DanG time out there. The logs were covered in moss mostly and some had hemlock growing in the sapwood with 8 inch diameters. :D :D They were some logs wasted in the late forties and fifties and huge, on the Queen Charlotte Islands. We  were there measuring juvenile trees, and juvenile out there are pretty big trees. ;D

  Most info about the cedar siding going bad, MAY be correct. I believe that the old growth, stuff cut 100 years or so ago, was a different strain. It had better anti rot-insect control built right in. Todays wood does not hold up like the old wood. We sometimes find old Cypress logs laying on the wet swamp turf, that has stuff growing out of it. Usually, it is just the sapwood. We take it to the mill and get good wood from it.  ;D

  I grew up in white swamp cedar country, and it was used extensively for boat building. There is no worse environment for wood, and I remember many OLD boats that were sound as the day they were built. Our house was built in 1912 with hand split shingle siding. We put stucco over it in 1958 and it was still sound, just weathered brown and not so good looking. Along the Atlantic Coast, there are old houses that still have the original cedar shingle siding, at least 80+ years old. Still holds up well. ;D

Had a pretty productive afternoon but it wasnt because of me. My back is still out after a week. The bone cracker keeps fixing me but I keep going out and unfixin it. ;D

I hired two young sons of one of our woods guys. Dan is 16 and Ryan 18. With just a little help from me, and all of it from the ground, we stripped the shingles on the front, cleaned them all up, got all the plywood cut back and reinstalled tieing in the new overhangs, got the drip edge on and the whole thing covered in felt and finnished up just as the rain started. We worked 5 hours. They did great!

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/northtarpaper.jpg)

Fla, I may be correct, may not be, but somethings going on, I only stated what I believe in  my limited experience. :)

Fla. and Swamp.  I sincerely agree about the 'different breed'.  I once replaced  the roof on a church that had, original laths, original cedar shakes (I believe red cedar), and two and three layers of asphalt shingles. .  Tore it all down to the rafters, redecked, and reroofed.  Nasty job. Them shakes underneath all them shingles looked exceptionally good, with the exception of all them nail holes.  In addition, in a pasture I rent is an old barn.  There was in a corner of that barn some red cedar shingles still banded up and had been there for years.  The owner of the pasture gave them to me.  I dug them out, cut the bands, and the shakes, once you took off the outer layers looked like new cedar, no knots, no sapwood.  Part of these were in the dirt and there was fire ants on part of them.  As I said I brought them home and restacked them.  I sold and installed them on a  job I was doing last year that included some restoration work on an old architectural house.  Wish I had truck loads of them considering how happy this lady was when I pulled them out of my hat, and told her how old I thought they were!  Good money too!!! ;D

In both cases these were sawn cedar shakes, not split.  While they were variable width some of them were almost two foot wide and looked to be all heart wood.

CK, thought I was agreeing with you. ??? Guess not ???

Sorry Fla, I guess I was just tryin to clairify what I wuz thinking.  :)  The wife is constantly reminding me I do too much spoutin off too!  :D  Yall ain't in cahoots are ya!!!! :)  

CK:

Fla and me aren't questioning your experiences. Wood behaves differently by climate. We were only offering our experiences too. ;)

HELP!,  I'm being double teamed, I though I was agreeing and adding too!!!! :)

Well when ya got a gator snappin at ya at one end and a swampdonkey ready to gore ya on the other end its kinda tough. ;D

 :D :D :D :D :D :D

Beats me why our siding isn't so good anymore. When we put it up we sprayed it with Behr clear finish and it looked really good for about 10 minutes. Then after about 7 or 8 years or so we took a  power washer and took the finish off down to the bare wood and sprayed it again with the Behr. My guess is this procedure needs to be done about every 2 years, not every 8 or so. ::) Charles had a good point about nailing it directly onto the plywood. Maybe air flowing through woulda helped. Where it isn't in the sun all day, the wood seems ok, but on the east & south side, we have trouble.
Could be why we went with brick on the new house!  For us little or no maintenance is a "good thing". ;D


By the way, Jeff, your project is coming along very nicely. I love the siding you are using. A  house I drive by on the way to town has used the D-cut siding and it is very attractive. I'd like to try it for a fishing cabin.

I stopped by Jeff's this morning to drop off a stick of cedar and was very impressed with what he and Tammy have going on.  I didn't have time for a real close inspection as it was 6:30AM and we were on our way to an auction that started at 8 on down the road a bit.  It looks even better in person.   8) 8) 8) 8) job guys!!!

 :D :D :D :D :D

I'm waitin to see what Jeff scrounged at that auction.  ;D

The wasn't a jeff auction that was a corley5 auction and I bet he did O.K.  I bet there is another tractor on its way to wolverine.  We got the whole front of the roof shingled yesterday. No time for auctions for us yet. :)

 :D :D

AH, come on Jeff. Ya didn't even go take a peek?

Well, you do have your hands full at the moment I guess.  ::) ;D

Chet mentioned he would like a closer look at da corners.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/corner_close1.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/corner_close2.jpg)

Here's what followed us home.  A Cockshutt 30 and an Allis Chalmers WC.  I haven't looked up ser#s yet so I don't know their years.  A planer/sticker was also on the trailer for the ride home. Pics of it are in the drying and processing forum.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/Oakley%20tractors%202.jpg)

Lookin' good dar Jeff.  :)


Hey Corley, I thought you was collectin' red tractors?

We've about run out of Red tractors to collect ;) ;D so we're expanding 8)  Actually we picked up a Cockshutt 40 last winter and since the price was right on this 30 they'll make a cool pair at a show.  The WC was bought as an organ donor for a W Patrol grader that is built around a WC.  The tractor part of the grader is shot and this tractor runs super.

Nice find there Corley. What show was that your talking about? They had a tractor pull in town here over the weekend, I never attended, was raining all day saturday. Its been an annual event the last 15 years or so.

Jeff:

I think the corner posts look really nice on 'YOUR' house.;)  All kidden aside, your doing a fine job....errr you and Tammy. :)

http://mmogta.org/

Corley, that looks like a really fun event. It would be nice to post it in the Events thread, if you would. There'd probably be some folks from out of state that would definately attend that show. :)

Well, it got dark on me. I was having fun. Slow slow going. We are scribing in one of the corners.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/scribing_corners1.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/scribing_corners2.jpg)

Them are some very nice looking joints. Did ya try what we talked about on da phone?

Refresh my memory? :D I swear my mind is going.

Ya think da memory is going now, wait till ya hit 50. Den ya can't even remember that ya forgot.  :D

I was referring to the log butts on da gable ends.  :)

Oh Yea!

I got a MFRA board meeting thursday at da bridge. I am meeting Corley5 in Wolverine after that to go to his cedar stash and pick out what I need.  :)

Now that's the kind of board meeting to attend, done before supper. The ones I attended went from supper to 1 am the next day because everyone was more into visiting then into business. ;)

Here is a daytime picture of what we did last night. You can see the picture of the siding cuttin table we made out of the stuff we tore off the front of the house. ;D Waste not want not eh? :)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/scribing_corners3.jpg)

 :D :D
Jeff your an enterprising engineer.  ;D

cheers

Ck are ya coming for da nail gun or do I mail it back?  I'm done wifit!! 8)

Finished up the roof yesterday, tore into the front walls of the house in order to move the electrical for the outside light, got that buttoned up and then got the rest of the west front part of the house sided. Came in the house just before 11.

A loon is flying over the house as I type this. Ever hear a loon? Makes you know you are in the north.

Its the state bird in Minnesota.

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/student/bird.html

 Click here for the song of the loon (http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/loonwail.wav)

 Or Here  (http://members.aol.com/GaviaRCool/TREMWAIL.WAV)

 Or Here  (http://members.aol.com/GaviaRCool/YODELS.WAV)

Oh-h-h, is that what that is?   Do folks make pets of'em?

We have a trailer park up the road and have been hearing noises like that coming from up that way.  Are Loons nocturnal?  Mabe we have Loons.  And all this time I was wondering what that sound was. :-/

We and all the neighbors have been sitting out in the front yard every night trying to figure out what it was. :-/  :P

Well you can here the loons pretty late and early up this way cause of our long summer daylight, but they'de rest like a duck too. Heck when I'm camping I even here ruffed grouse fussin half the night up here. :D :D

Ruffed grouse calling ya away from her babies  (http://www.uwgb.edu/birds/wbba/species/audios/GROUSE__RUFFED.MP3) Sounds like a dog whimperin. :D

There are a couple different species too Tom, so your loons might sound a bit different down there. The loons nests (common and red-eyed) up north here and overwinter down along the coast and inlets. There's a pacific loon also. They have umpteen different songs, like a yodal, a wailing and diving and alert. They always seem to sound kind of loansome when ya here them hollaring on the lakes.

Loon alarm call  (http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~tony/birds/sounds/loon1.au)

As far as making pets from them, I don't think you are allowed because of state and provincial laws against it. I know up here your not suppose to bother them, considered harrassment under the Fish and Wildlife Act. They don't have many babies at once , 2 mostly, rarely 3 I  think. They will often carry their babies on their back or under wing to keep warm.

Nesting and chicks and photos (http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/animals/loon/ln5.html)

In Minnesota the politicos that gave us the Loon as a state bird sat up in St. Paul for months this spring sucking on the state treasury and then agreed they could not agree on anything and went home. Perhaps it will be better this way, but I can't imagine what that session cost for nothing.

I wonder if you could still hear the loons on the Minnesota lakes while the legislature was in session, but that is probably giving the loons a bad name.

 Tom, I believe what yer hearin is called Loon(ies). Fl. is full of 'em. ;D ;D

HEE HEE snicker snicker ......yep. :D

I like how the sound track of every movie set in a tropical jungle in any far off land has loons calling. ::)

Hay SwampDonkey, how long are your days right now?   Hear sundown is about 1am and sun up about 4am, it don't get dark at all just dusk like as the sun just barley drops under the horizon.   Great fishing hear this weekend, got a 57lbs King last night as the loons talked! 8) 8)
Andy

Jeff's thread has gone loonie. ;) I bet he's listening to them loon calls on his pc to fall to sleep after working on the house for 18 hours a day. :D

ADfields:

Here sun goes down at 9:45 pm and long twilight till 10:45'ish and sun up at 4:45 am, well can see light then, I think officially its 5:20 am. I think it depends on which ridge top your sitting on. So, around 17 hours of daylight, and it does get dark here. ;D  When I worked up in the Nass and Meziadin Junction BC, it was similar to where your at ADfields. ;)

Fla_Deadheader: Tom and I had that discussion over the Looney Tunes at the camp grounds. ;)

Actually, I think those Jungle sounds are Peacocks. They sound a little like loons only they will drive you nuts. We had a guy that raised them about a half mile from where I grew up.

You grew up? :D

Peafowl sound like a screaming woman.  I knew one once that could have mistaken for a Peafowl.  :-/

Yup, my uncle raised them once a few years back. And the neighbors above my grandfather's had some too and jungle cocks. But, the jungle cocks are worse. Maybe you meant those too Jeff. The foxes soon silenced them though muhahhaha. :D :D

 Grey Jungle Fowl  (http://www.indiabirds.com/Hearthebird/Default.asp?StrSubmit=true&strdisplaybirdVal=361)

They use his hackles for salmon flies and its very expensive. They raise them now for such purposes because they are endangered. They cannot be tamed apparently and have to be kept in cages which are solid or real fine screaning so they don't become injured. They are very flighty and scared in captivity.

Tonights work, devising a way to hang some log ends. This one needed to carry wiring for the front yard "lantern" that will hang from it. The ends of the house will each have 3 log ends protruding as if they were part of the construction.
Here is what I came up with.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/log_hanger.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/log_hanger2.jpg)

Very clever way to get that 'log' effect and hang the lights. Going to look real good.

Is that a 'jack-a-lope' helping you out there?

Nuttin wrong with that. :)

Yep, jackalope's my buddy. Born from a broken Tamarack up to da cabin. He's got a thread on here somewhere.

Here is the light installed. The lamp wire comes through the log. The white wire hanging in the pic is a temp phone line. Looks a little out of place now put I think it'll be great when the siding is tied in. Maybe this week I hope ???

Tonights other project finished up. No flag yet as we just stained the pole. She's a bute. Thanks Greg! (Corley5)  Whatcha think of my pole topper? ;D

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/lamp.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/flagpole.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/pike_flag.jpg)

Jeff,  you should re-name this thread "Home Improvement".  :D

Your flag pole is the same design we made our bird house post. Hinged between two posts. With that pulp drive hook, stand clear when ya let the pole down. :D

Quote""stand clean when ya let the pole down""

Very true. My neighbor's daughter went out to lower theirs (similar, but steel pole) and somehow when it fell the bottom end caught her under the chin with lots of severe jaw bone and teeth damage.

That flagpole looks familar although it's not as barky as the last time I saw it.

Worked till Dark agin :-/ :)

Here is the view of the yard light now that it is sided in.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/light_opt.jpg)

REAL NICE.    :)

Don't feel too sorry fur ya though, da son of mine worked me from sun up 'till dark too.   ::)

Let's see, Jeff.....Let me think for a minute....Newly redone kitchen,  log lighting and all, ........New bed ta sleep in.........Brand new look to the roof including shingles, and proper overhang,.......Outstanding concept of log siding with solid cedar corners and innovative outside lighting.......New flagpole,..........



Hey Boss, it's a GOOD FEELING when it all starts coming together ain't it!!!!  Shoot fire, knowing ya got that roof done in itself had to take a bit of the load off of ya.  


 

looks like the Epsom salt baths have been working  ;D



really nice Jeff I wish I could make the roast but I'm like you and ck just to much to try and get done this summer.  I'll post some pics of da new cabin dis fall

Well Jeff,
A great man once said:
"I love it when a plan comes together!!!"
Great Job!

Starting to see a difference. :)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/front_siding.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/front_siding2.jpg)

Now the DanG door looks out of place. ::) ::) :D :D   After some weather it will look just like many houses all around me hear in Alaska. 8)
Andy

The door is staying. We just cant figure out what color to paint it. We wont let it weather. The sikkens will give it a honey color.

I think it's the window in the door more then color.   I'm color blind (red/green color blind from birth) so I don't go much by color, but I do think it needs to be much darker.   I think the door needs some iron work or some thing to brake up the modern look of the window in it most of all. ???   Maybe a ceder log/stick frame around it. ???

Even with the sikkens it will darken up some, the sharp edges show some patina and the plants grow in some to take off the "new" look you got now.   I like the feel of history they give off with some well maintained aging, it's like it will have a thousand story's to tell on some nice spring day. 8)   A feel that it just belongs there!
Andy

oops, got a little stain on it... :)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/first_stain1.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/first_stain2.jpg)

Maybe a food frame screne door.

hmm screen door.. Something for the coons and dogs to paw at. ;D

Job well done boss.  :)

Noble did you mean wood? We really do need a screen door there. It sure would be nice to leave the front door open when it's hot.

 Screen Doors  (http://store.yahoo.com/vintagewoodworks/screenstordo.html)

 Installation  (http://www.kent.ca/learning_room/br15.htm)

 ;)

No problem. Practiced in the back.

Screen doors are really neat.  They slam good. :D

Yes,  Wooden screne doors.

We have them on our old house.  They are on sale right now at the lumber yard (by the blinking light)  in Gainesville for $25.

You can put spring hinges on them or the old fashilned door springs------they slam the best :D

I think they would look good with your siding.  You could stain them the same color.

Some of them are quite decorative and old-timey looking.  you can get the bars close together at the bottom so as to be more hound resistant ;)

Oh yea, a blast from the past. I love screen doors! I remember mom ALWAYS yelling as we ran out the door, don't let that door slam! The next noise you'd hear was, SLAM!

Personally, I think they look nice on a camp or a front door of old farm houses that aren't used much. If I had to open it all the time on the main entry door and get whacked from behind on the way in, I'm afraid the door would have to go. ;D

I got to many doors on my house now, one has to go for sure, leaves 2 more. Hate opening and closing doors in and out of the house from the entryway/shed....sigh :D

Well one will be taking that screen door off for fall and winter I reckon. ;)

Why? We have the screen door on the backdoor all the time. Its not a storm door, its strictly a wooden screen door.

Yeah, but its not a door your using often in the back, is it? In that case that would be fine, in my view. But, not every day whack, slam, smack.  My North door is never used, neither is my front door facing the road. I use my south door, into the entry way, then on into the main house. WHen you come into that door there is a door to the head of the cellar stairs, then one at the foot of the stairs. There is a door from the shed into the main house, and there is a door into the storage room and then out through the north door. ....and when you try to carry everything in and out doors in one trip with both hands full? ...sigh.  :D

Just my opinion, and I'm full of'em and lotsa other stuff sometimes. ;)

Actually its the door we use the most. Its the door we use to take the dogs in and out. Tammy and I have both pretty much got the operation of a door mastered so its really not a big deal for us to have two. ;) Now if it were one of those revolving doors, there might be an issue... :)

 :D :D :D :D  Sorry, but my mind is working in over time thinking about swinging doors.  ::)  ;D

(And now something that has nothing to do with this thread) ;D

Is it 5 am yet? or was I dreaming? Monday mornings come too fast when ya work saturdays. :D

_{(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/maynard.jpg)}^{Work ?!}  

We leave our screne doors on all year round and as far as I know we've never had any snow fleas get in the house ::)

We had screen doors at home and at the cabin when I was growing up.  The ones at home had hydraulic closers on them so they didn't slam.  The one at camp just had a spring.  The dogs loved it.  They let themselves out ;) ;D 8).

  I have two screen doors , one at each end of the house . they are build from cedar that I sawed , to make them pooch proof ..... I put a full panel on the botom of each door and screened in the top . that way the dogs (yes two) can let themselsve out , they havent learned yet how to open the door so my lab when he wants in just stands up and leans on the door , the boarder collie just sits there and will wine ,.... and wine until somebody lets him in and then once hes in will turn and  * what took so long *  look on him.....
 On my gazebo I built a full screen door , to stop mr. pooch from blasting throught (witch he has done afew times ) I put a cross peice about 18 * up from botom and put birch branches across from on corner to the next diagonaly in a sun ray patern it worked fine but now I have to change them (read they wroughted out )  I'll be putting in cedar this time ...

Well, this come out a little cleaner then I thougth it would.  :)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/electrical.jpg)

Hey!  Cool!

How'd you get that silhouette of the fellow with the Forestry Forum hat, taking a picture on there.  Is that paint or stain?  ;D

Update  :)  Its scribing time again. :)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/west_end.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/west_end2.jpg)

Only 26 days left to get er done!    ;)

It aint goona happen. :D Ya'll will get the before and after.  My next order of cedar is still in the dryer. Hope to get it this weekend IF it gets done. Bring yer Hammer Chester. :D

New Tool!  We can now start building and assembling our deck rail. If we get time. :-/


Sure makes some cool shavings. Look good enough to eat. I bet Cedar shavings might taste like grits? ;)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/spindles.jpg)

Boy, that's a gonna be nice.  Sure do wish i had time to come North and see it in person.  

I see ya got the Makita hooked on the end of 'er. ;D

Yep, shes a heck of a drill. Problem with it is it can wrap ya up in a knot.

Is it a bit ta make the tenon ??

I need one,  where can I get me one.

Termite here a link for ya to the tenon cutter
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=42299&category=2%2C2180%2C41007&ccurrency=2&SID=

Thank you Tammy,

The house is looking GOOD !!!

Makes ya wonder why someone would leave nice wood like that in the swamp  :o ::) ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D

I think I'll be back scrounging. Now that I got that tool there are a lot of other little peices back there that might be useful. 8)

Let me know

Corley:

You know as well as anyone that if you made the effort to gather all those pieces from the swamp, that it would be sittin behind the mill till dooms day. Some known scrounger, no names mentioned, has to come and root through it all on site before it's legit. ;) :D

Well, we finally got the west end of the house sided, caulked, and ready to stain tomorrow. One of Tammy's bus driver buddy's husbands came over while we were at work and set up that scaffold. Nice surprise!

Second picture is of our preliminary deck rail mock up.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/westend.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/deckrail_starter.jpg)

Another view
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/deckrail_starter2.jpg)

Well, the last couple of weeks I got together my tool belt, all my hammers and nail guns, my scribing tools, and a whole lot of misc. carpentry tools. Da plan was to bring dem to da piggy roast ta finish da Brokaw project.  :)
Well wouldn't ya know it, I can't remember where I put dat DanG stuff.   :-/
DanG it, I'll just have ta be content ta visit, maybe have me one or two of dem blue beers, and a piece of dat roast piggy.    :D   :D

Them deck railings look kinda familar ???  Weren't they gonna be a light bar thingy or something ??? ???  You've got way more patience than I do.  I'd sawed everything so it was square or close anyway ;) then put it together ;D

So that's what they use that hockey stick shaped cedar rails for. ;D

Now ya needs that unfolding auning from those infomercials to keep the hot sun off ya when sit'n on that nice deck. ;) I like your siding job too. I been lookin them photos over well to see if the folks from 'Complete Maker-Over' are on site filming. Is Bob Villa coming to the piggy roast? ;)

 8)  :)

Another update. Front is getting close.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/front_near_done.jpg)

jest dont go around da corner... :D

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/back_not_near_done.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/back_not_near_done2.jpg)

  Hey, is dat da log rollin pond???

That is not the log rolling pond.  :o
That is the swimming pond.  ;D

Not even if we use a new shiny clean log?   ???

  You can't swim in dat pond. ??? Dere ain't no critters in dere. ::) ::)

Tom, bring me a gater up eh?

  I can see that now, the way you posted about snakes, the other day.  ::) ::)

  We just had a woman die from a Gator bite. She was playin with flowers and stuff behind the house, and the gator got her.
  Dragged her into da pond and tore off her arm. She died from infection.  

FDH,

I saw on the news about the attack but hadn't heard that she died. They interviewed the two guys that saved her.....for a while.
Too bad. Seems the old gator had been around for a long time but had not shown much reason for worry till this happened.

  Ya gotta really be careful out there. I can imagine she was crawling around on all fours, plantin flowers. Did not look big enough to be concerned about, so, the Gator did his thing.

  Why do you think I am trying so hard to look so big ???  ;D ;D :D

I got no problems with anything with legs. We have a chinese water dragon here in the house that eats mice and goldfish. Its probably a bit smarter then an alligator.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/Gator%20at%20door.jpg)

KNOCK!!

KNOCK!!

 :D :D :D

Hey Jeff, before ya said no Furby's, but now you are inviting gators ??? What gives ???  ;D

no hair to clog the filter, plus they are furby control.

   Hey Jeff,
   The railings look real nice,but I really like that storm door,have I seen that design somewhere before?

What happens when they get a hairball ???

Quote  Hey Jeff,
   The railings look real nice,but I really like that storm door,have I seen that design somewhere before?

The storm door came from the Home Depot.

Stopped at the Brokaw homestead last night. I can assure you folks the work that they have done to their home is awesome. The pictures that Jeff has posted, don't do it justice.

Tammy and I worked through the weekend to find a stopping point so we could turn our attentions to picking up all the tripping hazards before y'all get here. :D

Here is what we accomplished over the weekend. Deck and pool area is ready for the piggy roast!


(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/pool_deck.jpg)

   Who is the moron that typed storm door? I distinctly remember tyoing screen door. The design in the slats looks familar

That is absolutely beautiful.   :)

You guys did good. The house looks beautiful. I especially like the railing. Are they natually curved, or if not, how did you do that?

Yep naturally curved. We just got lucky that they fit. Corley5 got them for me for a different purpose to begin with.

They're what we call hockey stick cedar. ;) Usually growing on wet ground and partially uprooted, so they get that sweep to'm.  :)

cheers

We got a nice day today and dogmanpete and my sister came up and heledp Tammy and I get rid of that cruddy front door. As always, more work then you expect. Floor was rotten under the sill (wonderful OSB) so we had to cut that all back and replaced it. The door still needs to be trimmed out again inside but we are weather tight again.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/jeff_newdoor.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/jeff_newdoor2.jpg)

  It's always nice to be weather tight  come this time of year... ;) Nice looking door Jeff , looks good with the siding and all....

I was thinking about getting that very same door. ;)
Decided to save a few more $$$ and get a bigger window in it. ::)
How do ya like it?

We like it Furby. I am guess your kidding, but the bigger window costs more money, unless of course the window is the same size as the door and always open. :)

Nice touch, Jeff.

Oooops! There should have been an up with that save......as in: save UP a few more $$$. ::)
Yeah, the bigger window cost LOTS more $$$!  :o

I don't have any windows on the wall the door is in, so I decided to install an old door until I can afford the one with a bigger window.

I put the arched top 3/4 window, door by the same manufacture, in for my parents this past spring. Only it wasn't pre finished, my mom stained it. It lets in TONS more light then the old door.

Quote from: cktate on June 18, 2004, 03:57:42 PM
I make my own finish out of mineral spirits, linseed oil, wax, and zinc sulfate and zinc oxide.  How long it will hold up remains to be seen, but it is cheap and I will be keeping an eye on it, and recoat as needed.

I also treated my siding with a borate soulution, front and back before installing.

CK, how is your finish holding up? Would you mind sharing the recipe?

Stew

It's still shedding water real good.   I made up almost four five gallon buckets of the stuff and sprayed my siding and my porches and my rails with it.  I sprayed it heavy and let it soak in good after a long dry spell.  You'll have to give me a little while to find out the recipe, I've got it posted somewhere on the FF if I can find it, except i went back and added the zinc to the recipe  to help with ultraviolet rays damaging the wood.  Hang on, I'll see if I can find it.

Here is a link to where the recipe is posted.  I mixed mine with mineral spirits and as I said I added some zinc to the mix, just kinda guessed at it.   :)


https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=4724.0;all

repy number 13.......Looking back it does seem like it's been awhile.  I HIGHLY recomend it!!!!!  ;D

Thanks CK, this will come in handy in the future.

Stew