It has been a while since my last update. Libby and I have been doing work every now and again. We have hit a few mile stones. I finished both of my summer courses with a b and b+. My knee is starting to get some strength back and I am getting confidence back. I have been getting to the gym and was able to get the 95 pound Atlas stone up. I am still struggling with eating well, but Libby has made it her mission for us to eat healthy. Enough of me, on to the construction.
Libby and I laid out a bunch of the larger rafters. After a few false starts, we added a MakeIt Labs approved self pretension device (bungee cord). We got some 4 tooth blades and this system worked pretty good. The saw has a limited duty cycle so it we couldn't hammer through it. A little tension and a lot of breaks made it work. It was plenty hot and humid so the breaks worked out of me. I am not very pleasant in 90 degree, 89% humidity.
More boards, you can see in the back ground some rafters made up of two planks. This was done so we could reduce our impact on the environment. Or I didn't want to spend money on more wood.
Libby kicked some but and made two more stairs for the entry. The stairs may have been a bit ridiculous, but we had all the material so it was essentially free. We continued the stairs with the same design as the previous two. Libby took the dimensions and angles and cut up all of the suport beams.
She laid out the boards on the ground and traced out what the pattern should be.
Everything gets cut up and loaded into the trailer.
Walls! Well, some of them, we started putting up the sheathing. From this experiment, star drive (torx) is better than square drive (Robertson). We spent the day screwing everything together and making sure all the walls are solid. Libby was amazed by how much sturdier the structure became when we added the sheathings. I expected it, but still it is such a gratifying feeling when you push on a structure and can feel the stout lumber push back without yield.
The only wall without a window. Fireplace goes here. You can see the header structure of either 4x6, or laminated 2x6's with a plywood filler in between.
The walls went up on the previous day. Sunday, Libby and I put up some roof parts. We started by building each peak section. I pre-cut the Plywood in Nashua at MakeIt Labs and Libby assembled them up at the camp.
I put them all up. Not because Libby didn't want to help, but she is to short. The two smaller ones were able to be lifted and hoisted into place.
Screwed down from the top these parts were solid.
It was hot that day so Libby and I took less pictures than we should have but we did manage to get a photo of me flipping up the large peak wall section. Libby assembled it (she is pretty much the best) We tried to put it up in the lifted position. Failure. We went with the lever screwed onto the board again to get it into place.
Maine wall peak section up! it is waiting for the main beam.
Way to hot.
Still to hot. Since we did not have the availability of a crane, we made some dead-men that were cut to the exact length of how high the beam needed to be. This process was far tougher than I figured it would have been. We finally got it up but the composite of a 4x6 and 4x4 ten foot long 14 feet in the air was "challenging."
I have some spare wood for Joe's cabin I borrowed to build scaffolding. I screwed a 2x4 into the 2x10 to make a strong platform. This made work up in the air far safer.
Representing
Crossfit Tuff with the shirt, not my dough like physique. Always Hydrate either way.
Libby being cute.
That's a lot of rafters. To bad heights make me uncomfortable.
Piles and Piles of tools. Batteries are the limiting factor up at camp.
Every hour or so, I stop working and have to clean up the entire work site and organize tools. Before each stage of construction I like to lay out my tools and find all of the materials needed to complete the next task.
Once I put in the windows, I lose my workbench.
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| 5 and 6 inch deck screws are great. However, they don't have threading throughout the entire fastener so they can unscrew from the second chunk of material, but still be stuck in the first. It just sucks. |
I found some sucker, Joe volunteered to help put up rafters. I am moving down the scaffolding
Some photos just show a transition. I spent more time prepping and cleaning up than actually working. Libby was a star putting up with me and my limited mental capacity in the heat.
SHe was smart and found a place to rest that was cool.
Sucker. Volunteer. Without Joe, I would still be up screwing in rafters.
Just removing the dead men when we got the center beam secured. One of these days I may even figure out what they are called.
Joe without a shirt dominating the Rafters.
The energon is almost charged.
It almost looks like the model. With any luck, this will be stupid sturdy.
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| Monday we put up the secondary beams as we fought time and an oncoming rain storm. |
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| Libby looking so hot she fogs the camera. |
the two side beams up and installed thanks to Joe. We beat the rain.
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| Libby hauls up little laminated rafters. |
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| H kid with her little caterpillar friend. She is pretty much awesome. |
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| Joe kicking but as we put up the two smaller main beams. |
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| Onto the other side. The carriage bolts I put in to hold the beams together had to be adjusted. They were in the way of the junction at the end of the cabin. |
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| Screwing down the rafters on the smaller section. |
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| Libby helps clean up. A clean work area is a safe work area. |
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| It is starting to take shape. You can start to see why I made the center beam laminated and jog up so I have an open span. |
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| Look at you rafters. You look strong. |
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| Libby's upgraded stairs. It is far easier to use them now. With any luck, it will make snow covered entry easier in the winter. |
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| From the future sleeping position. |
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| From one side of the cabin, |
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| What the center section looks like. |
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| I am proud of this connection. Everything fit for the most part. |
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| Down on the stairs. |
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| Either a wood stove, or a propane heater will go here. |
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| What it looks like from a two year old's perspective. |
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| Bob Masek helping put on some plywood. |
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| Heidi hauls up windows. |
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| Carol and Heidi with some team work. |
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| The wood has curved. |
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| This might actually work. |
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| Now for side two. Heidi and bob have a go at it. |
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| Window one in. Looks good to me. |
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| My dad and I talking about discussing things. This may sound more like arguing. |
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| My dad proud of my work. That is something that really helped make this project worthwhile. Both of my grandfathers built things out of scrap pallets like I tried to for most of this cabin. Without him, I would not have my job, Libby, or any of my skills in making things. Thanks Dad, and I love you! |
