Log Cabins

[mudflap]

Stair treads* for the cabin!

Friend of mine who is a Calvinist Baptist preacher and also played in the band I used to play in had an oak tree that was dying cut down. He asked me if I wanted any wood - I said “YES! can you have the guys cut it into 5’ lengths?” so he did. I’ll run it through the mill and make boards, then cut them into 1"x2" strips and glue them together into stair treads - this will prevent them from cupping.

Savings: about $800.

*some assembly required

[David13]

I have seen a debunk of Thompson's water seal.

I have been looking for some sealer for outdoor wood, and saw that it was a marketing gimmick. Parafin wax and mineral spirits.

Real oil would be better, wouldn't it?

I know a lot of guys use used motor oil, or linseed oil.

I had some Watco Danish oil and I used that, then got two more quarts. Then read the directions, which says not recommended for outdoor use. Too late already, so I'm going to use it out there.

But there ought to be some good things for outdoor use.

I am talking about wood on an ATV trailer. So motor oil would not be out of line. However, I don't want anything slippery.
dc

we toured a LHBA log home where they stained it with used motor oil - the smell gave me a headache. I'm not sure I could live there. definitely keep the bugs away, though.

Yes, I think it is definitely just for outdoor use. Farm trailers, or for me and others atv trailers, just a platform with low rail all around and a ramp for a rear gate.
dc

[David13]

I have been hearing a repetitive tap tap tap outside. Yes, a woodpecker in a large old dead tree a block over.

I imagine they could and would wreak havoc with a log cabin.

I have heard about people shooting them. But not around here.
dc

[mudflap]

https://loghomejourney.wordpress.com/20 ... installed/

second floor floor installed - no walls yet, but the floor (which is also the ceiling of the first floor) is done.

[Cruiserdude]

https://loghomejourney.wordpress.com/20 ... installed/

second floor floor installed - no walls yet, but the floor (which is also the ceiling of the first floor) is done.

Looking good.
I've also been known to use exorbitant amounts of time on a detailed task, like yours fitting the planks to that round pole. Takes way more time but you'll be happier in the end.
It's getting there!

[Silver Pie]

Wow! What a lot of work. I think you have a lot more patience than I do. It looks really good.

[mudflap]

oak slabs. Got the log for free from the side of the road from a friend's house. The oak stair treads they sell at home depot are .75". I cut these at 1.25" out of one log. I have 6 more logs, so I'm thinking these 1.25" slabs will make a great looking coffee table top, and I'm going to cut the rest at 1.5" for the stairs.

Too pretty to waste:

[Cruiserdude]

oak slabs. Got the log for free from the side of the road from a friend's house. The oak stair treads they sell at home depot are .75". I cut these at 1.25" out of one log. I have 6 more logs, so I'm thinking these 1.25" slabs will make a great looking coffee table top, and I'm going to cut the rest at 1.5" for the stairs.

Too pretty to waste:

Gorgeous.
Oh my gosh these pics remind me how badly I miss falling trees and splitting/stacking my firewood
That slab you got made some great stair treads
Can't go wrong with oak

[mudflap]

4 window frames about ready to go in. Need to cut holes in the house and shove them in place - maybe by this weekend....This is the last of the windows, which means I can finish the insulation on the whole house and get this puppy closed in.

[mudflap]

4 out of 5 upstairs windows installed. maybe I can get the last one installed tomorrow......
This room will be a home office. I wonder how much work I'll get done working from home with all this pretty wood surrounding me, lol.

[emil_cooper_73]

Wow. I could imagine how productive you can be. I'd be drinking wine or drinking coffee with those woods around me.

[mudflap]

insulation is done:



In the photo, I had just the few small gaps left, but I really did finish. Wife took the pic and then went to go do some homeschooling while I finished up. I was surprised at how quiet it became inside - even though we're out in the country, you can still hear the occasional car drive by, or loud birds calling to each other. But with the insulation in place - it's almost silent - like a sound room in a recording studio.

Now onto the nails to hold the chinking in place, and then the dreaded chinking. I was going to make a "EQ chinking party announcement" on the request of our new EQ Pres, but thinking about it some more - chinking isn't something you can just pick up and do on a Saturday morning - well, maybe - but I want to do a really good job, so I'll have to do it myself. It's a one-time thing: you get one chance to get it right - not like you can pull it back out - not without a lot of effort.

I estimate I need 3 tons of sand to finish the chinking. Already used 1 ton to do the front of the house, 3 rows on one side, and 6 on another.

I still need to insulate the gables and the floor, but we'll get there.

[Cruiserdude]

insulation is done:



In the photo, I had just the few small gaps left, but I really did finish. Wife took the pic and then went to go do some homeschooling while I finished up. I was surprised at how quiet it became inside - even though we're out in the country, you can still hear the occasional car drive by, or loud birds calling to each other. But with the insulation in place - it's almost silent - like a sound room in a recording studio.

Now onto the nails to hold the chinking in place, and then the dreaded chinking. I was going to make a "EQ chinking party announcement" on the request of our new EQ Pres, but thinking about it some more - chinking isn't something you can just pick up and do on a Saturday morning - well, maybe - but I want to do a really good job, so I'll have to do it myself. It's a one-time thing: you get one chance to get it right - not like you can pull it back out - not without a lot of effort.

I estimate I need 3 tons of sand to finish the chinking. Already used 1 ton to do the front of the house, 3 rows on one side, and 6 on another.

I still need to insulate the gables and the floor, but we'll get there.

That cabin looks yuuuuuge in that pic

[mudflap]

yes it is. too big, IMO, lol. but I started it, so now I gotta finish it....

[Silver Pie]

Any more updates?

[mudflap]

Here's a pic from yesterday's chinking adventure - I have a whole bunch of PTO from work I have to burn up before the end of the year:



The dark line is the fresh chinking (mortar) I applied. took me about 3 hours to do this row. The pulley and rope was just there for unloading some oak tree trunks I got from a friend - going to make stair treads out of them.

I was working on putting a new motor in my truck in July - and the day before I was going to drop the new motor in, I got covid. I was down with that for about 2 weeks, then it took another week to get my strength back before I was going to attempt putting the motor in - heavy crane and crawling around under the truck installing bolts wasn't something I could do with how winded I was getting. Anyway, got that figured out, have been test driving the truck the last week, finally got the courage to make a 20 mile trip to the cabin yesterday.

Hoping to finish all the outside chinking before Thanksgiving. It's boring work- install insulation, then nails (screen if the gap is larger than 4"), then mix up the chinking and install it:

[True]

Here's a pic from yesterday's chinking adventure - I have a whole bunch of PTO from work I have to burn up before the end of the year:



The dark line is the fresh chinking (mortar) I applied. took me about 3 hours to do this row. The pulley and rope was just there for unloading some oak tree trunks I got from a friend - going to make stair treads out of them.

I was working on putting a new motor in my truck in July - and the day before I was going to drop the new motor in, I got covid. I was down with that for about 2 weeks, then it took another week to get my strength back before I was going to attempt putting the motor in - heavy crane and crawling around under the truck installing bolts wasn't something I could do with how winded I was getting. Anyway, got that figured out, have been test driving the truck the last week, finally got the courage to make a 20 mile trip to the cabin yesterday.

Hoping to finish all the outside chinking before Thanksgiving. It's boring work- install insulation, then nails (screen if the gap is larger than 4"), then mix up the chinking and install it:

That’s awesome! We’ll done:)

[mudflap]

found my stair stringers* tonight:



obviously, some assembly required. I need about 17' of this tree. I think it is about 24" at the base, and 18" @ 17' up. It has a slight bow to it, but with those dimensions, I can put the stair treads wherever I want. Just going to run it through the mill to cut it in half (hopefully the bow will allow it to fit on the mill), then peel, sand, and stain it.

[Great8]

Does anyone want to build my log cabin in star valley, wy?

[mudflap]

Does anyone want to build my log cabin in star valley, wy?

I can get you in touch with a guy. he's actually LDS, and has built close to 100 of these all over the country -

https://wileyloghomes.com/ .

[Great8]

Does anyone want to build my log cabin in star valley, wy?

I can get you in touch with a guy. he's actually LDS, and has built close to 100 of these all over the country -

https://wileyloghomes.com/ .

Nice! Can you pm me his contact info and your name? thx!

[mudflap]

Got this window and part of a row chinked last night:



getting the chinking to stick upside down is an adventure.

[mudflap]

my buddy came to get some logs today:



he's going to build a sleeping cabin (20x20) on his little farm. probably 60 logs in this pile, they average about 8" diameter. But not long enough for my garage, so I'm giving them away.

There is one I'm saving for my stair stringers (see 9/8/21 post above), because the oak tree idea fell through - guy at church cut down an oak tree with a 36" base. I was going to come get it, but my fuel pump went out on my truck. Didn't matter - a professional sawmill guy came by to get it the day after he cut it, so I didn't have a chance. The guy who got it cut it into 5' lengths - when he loaded it, his scale said it weighed around 3,000 lbs. So I was trying to get it in a 20' piece - it would've been over 12,000 lbs at that size. It would've been cool, but not "I need to pour a another concrete foundation just to support my stairs" cool.

[mudflap]

Back wall chinked. This means 3 out of 4 exterior walls are chinked. Just 8 rows left on the East side, and I'll be almost weathered in (have to fix a few gaps in the bird blocks, then spray foam the cracks). Then we can start on the inside - electrical, plumbing, framing. Hoping to get it all done before we reach peak insanity....

[JuneBug12000]

Back wall chinked. This means 3 out of 4 exterior walls are chinked. Just 8 rows left on the East side, and I'll be almost weathered in (have to fix a few gaps in the bird blocks, then spray foam the cracks). Then we can start on the inside - electrical, plumbing, framing. Hoping to get it all done before we reach peak insanity....

I has been amazing to see the progress! So cool that you are doing this.