Author Topic: Our operation is underway! (Read 11450 times)

OlJarhead · « **Reply #20 on:** May 02, 2011, 09:52:55 pm »

Managed to get to the Cabin this past weekend and work on some of the pine we milled previously and dried over the last couple months (or longer I guess)...seen here my son is working on planing the lumber with my step son and I.

We planed about 15 boards (milled to 5/8"x9"x8' roughly -- some were 8" some 9" depending on the logs).

We then ran them through the router table we cobbled together (someone posted a link to some router bits here in the forum and I did some looking from there and found a set I thought would work -- they did, just not exactly what I thought!).

The old desk worked pretty well with a Ryobi plunge router mounted underneath it and a makeshift fence and guard tossed in for good measure.

Crude but effective

One thing to note: when the router bit says "for 1/2" to 3/4" stock, it probably means it won't get the V-Groove in the 1/2" stock...DOH!

Then we got to nailing it up!

(My sons did all the cutting on my Makita Miter Saw and I did the measuring and nailing up...it was a great time!

When we were done it was just *DanG awesome! I can't wait to get back and get more done! And of course I can't wait to brush on the poly coat!!!!

cypresskayaksllc · « **Reply #21 on:** May 02, 2011, 10:09:37 pm »

Nice work. Nothing better than feeding that stove and putting trees on the walls.

tyb525 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 02, 2011, 10:33:51 pm »

And that's why I love sawmilling the most out of all my hobbies. You can be involved from start to finish. From harvesting the tree all the way to nailing the finished product on the wall, you're involved in all of it!

Chuck White · « **Reply #23 on:** May 03, 2011, 05:33:32 am »

Nice looking operation you've got going there!

The wall looks awesome!

ladylake · « **Reply #24 on:** May 03, 2011, 06:22:03 am »

I thought the boys did all the work, I just saw a couple of pics with you doing some. Bet your glad you bought that bandsaw. Steve

WDH · « **Reply #25 on:** May 03, 2011, 07:15:32 am »

Way to go! It is very awesome to have capability that most people never dreamed of having.

thecfarm · « **Reply #26 on:** May 03, 2011, 07:23:11 am »

And I can't wait for some more pictures!!! Glad to see the boys helping too. It's great to have family close by.

Magicman · « **Reply #27 on:** May 03, 2011, 09:05:19 am »

I love to see a plan coming together. Especially with the family.

OlJarhead · « **Reply #28 on:** May 03, 2011, 09:25:10 am »

Thanks all

Ya the boys do a lot of work but the old man has to keep ahead of them!!! After all, my days of out working them are probably numbered

but that's ok.

OlJarhead · « **Reply #29 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:01:01 am »

Geez I'm behind on posting some pics I see! I'll get some more uploaded but here are a few from the period before we began nailing up interior walls!

This is a windfall blue stained pine we milled up a few weeks ago

Was pretty awesome watching it become something usable and well, artistic.

My son running the mill. He and my step-son both like to run the mill and only need me if they have a problem clamping a log onto it or rolling one up -- which is pretty much never. Heck, the last log they just picked up and put on the mill!!!

We have discovered that small logs are hard to keep clamped flat on the mill so we only mill them if we are desperate for something to make sawdust with.....

OlJarhead · « **Reply #30 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:08:27 am »

The new stickers are awesome too

I can't wait to pick some more up!

We have a lot of wood to mill and I expect will mill as long as the weather will allow and we can air dry, but what a mess we're making! I have to have a bonfire party soon

Magicman · « **Reply #31 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:15:03 am »

Quote from: OlJarhead on May 03, 2011, 10:08:27 am

I have to have a bonfire party soon

Bonfires are just part of the family fun.

What did you ever do without a sawmill??

OlJarhead · « **Reply #32 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:32:55 am »

Quote from: Magicman on May 03, 2011, 10:15:03 am

Quote from: OlJarhead on May 03, 2011, 10:08:27 am
I have to have a bonfire party soon

Bonfires are just part of the family fun.

What did you ever do without a sawmill??

I don't know!!!

love having one!

ely · « **Reply #33 on:** May 03, 2011, 10:46:09 am »

what do you use the solar panel for.? can you give a few specs on it, like price,what it powers? etc.

ive been wanting to get some of those but have no idea by looking online.

Peter Drouin · « **Reply #34 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:03:23 pm »

nice job you and the boys did

and that wm cuts nice too

have fun cutting

OlJarhead · « **Reply #35 on:** May 03, 2011, 12:15:59 pm »

Quote from: ely on May 03, 2011, 10:46:09 am

what do you use the solar panel for.? can you give a few specs on it, like price,what it powers? etc.

ive been wanting to get some of those but have no idea by looking online.

Our cabin is 100% off grid

The solar power is a 615 watt system which charges 6 golf cart batteries (soon to be

which in turn provide the power for a 2500 watt inverter. We use the power to run the lights, a freezer (soon fridge too) and will be using it for a ceiling fan, composter fan, radio and whatever else we want to run. We also use it in the winter for the heat tape which keeps the sewer line to the composting toilet from freezing up on us

The system:
3 Sun 205 watt panels in series (from Sunelec)
Midnight Solar combiner box and disco box
Morningstar 60amp MPPT controller (converts the solar panel power to charging power
6 Costco Golf Cart Batteries (660ah)
AIM 2500 watt Modified Sine Wave inverter (peaks at 5000watts)
Iota 750 watt charger (to charge off a generator if the sun isn't cooperating).

Total cost is around $3500 including panel rack mount which I designed and my neighbor made for $300

We bought from a few different sources after much searching the net and discussion with the guys on countryplans.com forum (they have an excellent thread on off grid power systems).

I love being able to 'flick' on the lights when we get to the cabin

Magicman · « **Reply #36 on:** May 03, 2011, 02:11:04 pm »

I would also think that the new LED lights designed for recreational vehicles would be a lighting option. They use virtually no power

http://www.starlightsinc.com/shop/pc/home.asp

http://www.jclampstand.com/

ely · « **Reply #37 on:** May 03, 2011, 04:47:41 pm »

thanks for that info, i will have to investigate that further.

OlJarhead · « **Reply #38 on:** May 04, 2011, 09:44:40 am »

Quote from: Magicman on May 03, 2011, 02:11:04 pm

I would also think that the new LED lights designed for recreational vehicles would be a lighting option. They use virtually no power

http://www.starlightsinc.com/shop/pc/home.asp

http://www.jclampstand.com/

Thanks for the links! Those look like pretty cool options. I guess I'd have to look for the type of light socket they use but I like the motion lights and some of the others a lot! With my 660ah battery bank I could run them NO PROBLEM

But an added benefit is that they don't need the inverter either....hmmmm

OlJarhead · « **Reply #39 on:** May 04, 2011, 09:45:55 am »

Quote from: ely on May 03, 2011, 04:47:41 pm

thanks for that info, i will have to investigate that further.

No problem. A good place to go is countryplans.com and in their forum is a thread for off grid power that is worth participating in. Another is sunelec.com as well as (I think) aims.com (Or search for American Inverter Store) and I have some others floating around.

News:

Author Topic: Our operation is underway! (Read 11450 times)