Our log cabin on the back 40

[pappy]

Ya all might have noticed I've made a bunch of posts this past week cause my Dang back has blown out again.  About the only thing I've been able to do has been Epsom salt baths, TV and the Forestry Forum -- Thank God fer this place.

Anyway I though I'd get a thread  going about our 16' X 34' log cabin "out back"  -- so here goes it's been an on going project for awhile, a good part of the reason in buying a band mill.  

First you need materials,  I'm using northern white cedar logs 8 and 10 feet long sawed two sides at 4,5, and 6 inch thick.




These were sawed last year,stickered and covered. This summer we moved them down to the site.


Two summers ago we did the floor framing 6X6 tamarack sills and 2X6 floor joist.  Last summer we decked it with one inch tamarack.
Just stretching out the back.

Ahhh nice to get off of the knees.

Last summer we also got our black spruce purlins out of the woods and peeled. We got a neighborhood kid to help Jen with that task.


We got the corner framing up, using 2 X 6 and 2 X 8 fir.  The door and window frames are 2 X 6 fir.


The first row of logs, spiked through the corner framing with 6" spikes and vertically using 10" spikes.

They're not that heavy, Josh  :D


Making the ends fit a little tighter.



Come on boy drive that spike


Getting the window frames into place.



This is as far as we've got so far, 48" up.

[jerry-m]

Looking good Termite,

Thanks for sharing with the pictures... I and my family built a log cabin out of round log back in 1979/80... Didn't have a sawmill then... We used hardware cloth between the cracks with cement filling... The cement has been falling out some now and needs recaulking...

My youngest daughter and her husband have started milling some square 6X8 logs for a small cabin / house of their own...

I was laid up in bed with back trouble way back when the goverment burned Waco... Watched it all  on tv from bed... Only releif I could get was from the Caropractor, and it only lasted for about an hour... Didn't know what I was going to do, had been off work for nearly a month... Doctor wanted to operate but I knew  too many people that went that route and were in worst shape than before... Finlay a Nurse friend told me to take a lot of asprin as they were a muscle relaxer... Worked for me, maybe not for anyone else???


 

[pappy]

Thanks Jerry,

"The cement has been falling out some now and needs recaulking..."

Ya might want to check out this site to replace your chinking with..  It comes highly recommend around these parts.    http://www.permachink.com/

I've had back problems since '74, the chiropractors have been a blessing for me, just had two adjustments and only cost $60, this Dr. works on me for about 45 minutes at a setting.    where did you ever here a Dr. charging so little.  I got friends who have had back operations and the ones of late have are doing great.  New technology everyday.

Your gonna have to post some pics of your daughter and husbands new log structure  


Will be back out to the mill tomorrow.  8)

[pappy]

It's been a few weeks but we've been moving along.

we're over the windows, then it's the log floor joist.  8)





Tim

[Daver]

Hi, The Cabin is looking real nice... I wish it was me making it..  ;)

[pappy]

More updates;

We are almost to the top of the walls and it's time for the cross tie logs. Then place the loft log floor joist into place, there will be a loft at both ends of the cabin.  With Jen and brother John we got out three black spruce logs, peeled them and took two up to the mill to saw the top flat.




With that done Jen made some phone calls Sunday morning to round up some help to get the cross tie logs on top of the walls.  Everybody she called came and brought help, Randy (who lives across the road) brought his tractor, big plus.


That was as close as Randy could get so the help slid the logs down the top of the wall and close to there place.


Over the next week or so with time permitting I got the cross-ties scribed into place.


Now it's time to get the log floor joist into position.
Once again Jen calls in reinforcements, Babe and his Brother Ben are home on vacation and they had seen the camp progress and wanted to help.  8)

First we had to  go to the purlin pile we readied last summer and picked out our logs.  Loaded em up onto the trailer and back up to the mill to flatten the top.

Back down and it's time to fit em into place, get the logs up on top of the cross-tie logs mark em then back down to tenon the ends. I know where's those chaps!!

Wow the joist logs are in place and ready to be mortised into place.



Thanks for tuning in and I'll be posting more later. Gotta go pick hazel nuts.

happy pappy

[etat]

WOW!   LOOKING  GREAT!    thanks for the update, and the pictures!!!!!

[jerry-m]

Hi Termite.  Guess your back got better 8)

Cabin looking good, great pictures...
Are you cutting a groove of some sort to mate the logs to each other or just butting them flat surface to flat surface???
Anyway thanks very much for sharing 8) 8) 8)

Jerry

[pappy]

Thanks  cktate and jerry-m
My back has been doing much better, thanks fer asking.

Daver maybe ya can come on up and sit fer a spell sometime.  

Jerry I'm just spiking the logs one on top of another and will be using a product from Perma Chink called Energy Seal to seal the inside and outside seams between the logs and ends.

Link >>  http://www.permachink.com/EnergySeal.html



Never the less we've made some progress, I got a chance to mortise the log loft joist into place.   8) Used just a chainsaw and chisel to do the mortising.  Worked great.


Fine tuning the tenon



Closeup of the mortise and tenon joints.



First view from the upper level. Couldn't step back any further.


I had a little visitor and she sure likes that cross-tie log.  I think we might have a swing in the camp for awhile.   Our granddaughter Kate is really starting to like camp "outback"




Will try to get the gable ends started this week.  Went out and got the loft windows yesterday so's I'd have the R.O. sizes.

Raining up here today so that shoots working on the camp outa the water. :(

stay tuned

[Norm]

Great pics Pappy, I sure have enjoyed this thread. Thanks for the update.  

[jerry-m]

Thanks Termite,

I am planing on cutting my logs square  four sides 6in. wide by 8 in. high... Might decide to just mill 3 sides and leave the out side round... Then I could just Stack, Spike, and Seal and be done with it:)

I sure do like your cabin, and enjoy the pictures 8)

Thanks, Jerry

[DanManofStihl]

That cabin looks great. I wish I had one. It is really coming together, I'm so envious :'(. lol

[pappy]

Thanks guys!!

We've been working on the gable ends.  

up to the loft window on the west wall --



Just about as high as we need to be

 
And almost done the east wall-- getting the last spikes in it.



Hopefully we'll get the purlins up in place over the weekend.  Gotta get em washed up first.

[pappy]

Well got more done, last Saturday my brother Dave came over to help out.  We made a jig to trim the gable ends -- just two boards to help guide the saw.



Then trimmed them -- it worked really good  8)




Then on Monday I made some phone calls and got some buddies to help out.  8)  One of em has a home made ( at least he thinks so) ATV.  It's got a dump bed and a winch.  We used the winch with the parbuckleing method to lift the purlins up onto the gable ends to be scribed into place.

First we had to move the purlins into position.




Then line up the "goat" to utilize the winch.


Up they go  




Now isn't this sooo easy says Wishy.  He just got the machine and was itching to try her out.



Fitting them in.


Scribed in pretty good.  Going to take a little more caulking than planned but that's OK.  Got these three purlin ends scribed into place, the other ends still needs to be done.  Then I got to get the last ones up on top of each outside wall.



Nice to have those heavy pieces up there. 8) 8)

[Pete J]

Awesome work.

By the way, I think I'll be needing a workshop in the backyard pretty soon!

[pappy]

Finally got the purlins all done then on to the roof boards.   8)


We grabbed a whack o' lumber ( pine) took it to the shop and tongue and grooved it then brought it down to camp on Monday.



Trimming the purlin ends.


Starting the roof boards on Thursday.


Just as I was getting things going Bryant showed up and gave me a hand.  


Jen did the trimming.  Worked great with three.   8)


The end of the day on Thursday



The end of the day Friday.



At last on Saturday Jen and I finished the boards and tar paper and trimmed the drip edge.


Hopefully by the end of this week we'll have the insulation and steel roofing on.

Stay tuned,
pappy

[beetle]

Termite,

Looking real good!  8)

My timber frame is still just a pile of sticks.....only the pile is getting bigger.   >:(

[OneWithWood]

Nice job, Termite.  Thanks for the pics!

[Norm]

Looks great Pappy, now if I could only find a way to sneak up there and move it to my place I'd be happier than a muddy pig. ;D

[pappy]

Thanks Norm_F., OWW, and beetle,

Norm ya can't have mine but I know of some mills up this way that'll sell you a truck load of cedar logs sawed 2 or three or even 4  sides.   ;)

We didn't get the roof all done the next week but we did "git er done"

The week before last Pete came over and gave me three big days. We were able to get the sheets of 2" insulation in place then it was the 2 X 6's lag bolted three feet on center to the purlins and the strapping nailed at two foot centers.



pretty in pink



Then last week Bryant gave me two big days to get the steel on 'er.  Bry used to have a company erecting  commercial steel buildings.    8) No better person then him for the task.

First we had to trim the fascia with pine I also used steel fascia, no painting.  :
 

After carefully measuring, the steel was predrilled 13 at a time.  BIG PLUS when it came time to screw it down. In doing so the screw lines came out real nice,  good to have a pro helping out. 8)


The moment has arrived, the roof is finally going on.  8) 8)
Line it up and screw 'er down.


Bring em on!!! We were able to get the north side done the first day. Here we are the second day cutting the hole for the chimney on the south side.


And on the third day Bry came back and finished of the ridge cap. The last screw placed and a big holler from Bry saying DONE !!!!!!! I must say he's got to be half squirrel.  :D



Yesterday Jen and I finished installing the smoke pipe and that makes it official   WE ARE DRIED IN !!!!!!!


Now we're off to ready the wood stove, need heat to install the windows and doors and all the other work which needs to be done.

Stay tuned,
pappy and gram

[Timber_Framer]

Fantastic

[UNCLEBUCK]

Termite your log cabin/home looks fantastic ! Great pictures and looks like its in a beautiful spot . Congratulations , its very nice !

[Keitho]

Good job termite. I am sure you are living a lot of people's dreams of building this log cabin including mine. It looks great. Thanks for the pictures & I am looking forward to the next bunch you upload.       Keitho

[hillbilly]

               Looks good to me , makes me wish the farm was alittle bigger or I had more land to build my own.
              I like the photos of your little mill shed to ;D
                         hillbilly

[customsawyer]

Absolutly beautiful