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Decking and Ceiling Recomendations?

Started by jander3, May 06, 2010, 02:29:20 PM

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jander3

I am finally at the point where I need to decide on decking and ceiling material for the Stump Ranch.  I am interested in any and all opinions on the topic.  I need info on materials or approach.  My initial thoughts are below:

550 square feet to close in the eaves outside
600 square feet for the roofing inside
500 square feet for the floor

Initially, I was thinking tongue and groove; however, at $1.50 or higher a square foot, this runs $3000 or more.  If I spend that kind of money, maybe I am better off just buying a mill; however, if I buy a mill, then I have to face nail the material without tongue and groove, cause I have no power and no equipment to cut tongue and groove, then again, I could just go get 1" x 6" material from Mendards and face nail it up which will cost me about $1500, but then I won't have any sawmill, which I'm going to buy anyway, but now may not be the right time cause if I buy the mill and cut my decking I have to let it dry for quite some time before I use it.

I am interested in any ideas you have used to install decking and roofing that didn't break the bank.  In particular if you have any techniques for minimizing gaps when face nailing material in place with out T&G.  

I do have plenty of Aspen and Red Oak on our property, I would consider getting a mill if I can figure out how to go from cutting down the tree to nailed in place in a short period of time.

Raphael

I've ripped boards on my tablesaw at a 45° to create an overlap on the butted boards.


... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

Jim_Rogers

Reverse board and batten.

Place a thin batten up first like 1/2" or 1/4" x 3" wide and then put up the ceiling material. When it drys and shrinks you'll still see the batten and there won't be any gaps for bugs or animals to get into your porch roof.

Just an idea.....

Buy the mill......

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Holmes

Jim I really like that idea, it will help me on a couple of my projects. It is a method I had never given thought to. Holmes
Think like a farmer.

jander3

Thanks Raphael and Jim as I had not thought of either of these ideas.  And, Jim you make an excellent argument for purchasing a sawmill.   ....now, I'm off to convince my wife that a sawmill is simply necessary.  I'm quite sure that will cost me a great deal more than price of a mill in the long run.

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: jander3 on May 07, 2010, 07:38:31 PM
I'm quite sure that will cost me a great deal more than price of a mill in the long run.

Yes, but the pay back is much more than the savings of the price of purchased lumber......
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Stephen1

Get the mill! 

   I now have the wood for the ceiling cut and drying, I am debating whether to take it to someone with a moulder/shaper to make tongue & grove, or do I plane it myself, then make ship and lap on my table saw.
I am now in the process of cutting the cedar for my bathroom/ sauna. I traded hauling some walnut slabs for a friend for the cedar and small walnut logs for my stairs.
I don't mind waiting for the wood to dry as I have other things to do. Also I have cut all the wood  at 3/4"
I am thinking it is dry enough now to do something with, and I cut it last fall.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

ljmathias

Jander: I like your thinking there (what I can follow of it)- main conclusion is key "buy sawmill."  Woodmizer probably has a Jedi somewhere nearby using the old mind trick on you "These aren't the droids you're looking for..."  Ah, the joys of spending time with the grandkids. :)
Oh, and once you have the mill and cut the lumber, you'll have all kinds of neat stuff to do- a mill just sparks ideas on how to save even more money, especially if it involves buying more tools so you can be even more productive.  I used to think that women had a corner on the "I spent $50 to save $4000" or some such, but the only difference is that we have to work harder to justify our (much bigger) purchases to our better halves.  Ever wander why they got that name?

Key is this- once you get the tools, you always need more tools and you save even more money so pretty soon you're so rich that all you have time for is figuring how to spend your money instead of actually doing something productive... ;D

I mostly don't justify purchases anymore but I am very careful to make sure the "need" comes from the little woman (after careful coaching and groundwork on my part): the best way to get what you want (need!) is to have her decide you need it.   :)


Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

Stephen1

Quote from: ljmathias on May 09, 2010, 10:03:42 PM



I mostly don't justify purchases anymore but I am very careful to make sure the "need" comes from the little woman (after careful coaching and groundwork on my part): the best way to get what you want (need!) is to have her decide you need it.   :)


Lj

The very best way to do it, I am amazed if I do the above, how I am told to go buy that tool. lol
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

jander3

Working on my wife; I will keep you posted.

jander3

Jim,

You make good argument...I ordered a Timberking 1220 mill and extra bed section this morning.   It should show up in three or four weeks.  Now I just need to figure out how to get it through the woods back to my cabin.

When I talked with my wife, I started my discussion on this purchase with, well, you know, maybe, that bulldozer that I've been wanting for quite some time now....I think maybe I will wait on that one.  Instead, how about a mill?   

I imagine this decision is going to result in having to waste a week or so sitting on a beach in Key West (probably next winter) to appease my wife because she likes beaches and shopping as much as I like log cabin building.

Actually, she likes the idea of buying a mill. However, when I explored the notion that often women run portable sawmills...she clearly indicated that in her case—not ever.


Jim_Rogers

jander, my wife was laid off one winter and I had her run the mill..... back then she rode on the chair on the mill and I did the off bearing....tailing or whatever you want to call it......

She did good but I more or less had to tell her where to make each cut.... she had some trouble figuring out how to get what we wanted out of the log...

Back then we also were doing a lot of re-sawing of timbers for the antique lumber yard to make them into flooring. So there wasn't much figuring to do when we sawed them....

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

GaryinMississippi

Jim Rogers says: "Back then we also were doing a lot of re-sawing of timbers for the antique lumber yard to make them into flooring. So there wasn't much figuring to do when we sawed them...."

A little off the top?

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: GaryinMississippi on May 14, 2010, 12:50:42 PM

A little off the top?

Well actually we took a 6x8 beam and square it up to whatever it would, like 7" or 7.5" and then cut several boards from the 6" height....So it was just a matter of putting the saw pointer on the 4/4 scale mark....cut off a waste piece on top and then make several regular 4/4 boards from what was left.
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Stephen1

Quote from: jander3 on May 11, 2010, 10:37:19 PM
Working on my wife; I will keep you posted.
Wow... didn't take long.... i think you will need more than 1 week on the beach.....
congratulations.... your hooked now...and you don't even have the mill...
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Raphael

Congrats on the new mill jander, now comes the hard part.
Waiting for delivery!  ;D
My recent 'little purchase' took 6 weeks and has to go back for rear remotes next week.
Fortunately I'll be at TTRAG so the separation anxiety shouldn't be too great.  :D


What's your 'maximum' length with the extension?
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

1938farmall

jander,  i know you started your thread with an idea about t&g boards and wonder if you still plan to convert your sawmill boards into t&g somehow?   seeing how handy you are with the chain saw, seems like you could bolt some kind of a guide to your saw near the nose & cut a groove in the edge of the boards.  then cut some 3/8" splines with the mill & insert them.  the aspen will come off the mill pretty ragged but it would be a nice rustic look with the advantage of t&g.  just my 2cents.  very nice job on the loft stair.  al
aka oldnorskie

jander3

1938 Farmall,

Thanks for your thoughts. I like the idea of cutting shiplap or a slot for a spline with a chainsaw. Next time I'm out to the ranch, I think I'm going to try some freehand slot cutting.  I'm pretty sure this could work.  I also think I could set up my mini-mill to cut the shiplap without too much problem.

Initially, for the outer planking, I will use the sawmill and regular board and baton.   Got to think a little more on how to to flooring.  I want rustic, just need to figure out some method of shiplap or spline.  And, I gotta use what I have which will mean sawmill and chainsaw.

Raphael

Have you got a table saw?
That's what I use when I want to put a 1/4" groove in a 3/4" board.
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

Sprucegum

The easiest way to get your mill to the cabin - drag it behind your bulldozer  ;)  :D

Gary_C

jander have you ever been to that sawmill on County Rd 24 just west of where you are? It's about 4-5 miles south of the little town of Duxbury and maybe 2 miles south of County Rd 25 junction.

Haven't been there for a couple years but he has a kiln dryer and did make a lot of tounge and groove for cabins. But he did take the boards over to a place west of Hinckley for the milling. I don't know if he is still there as I've heard he had some trouble with the IRS for not paying his taxes.

He might be able to dry some boards for you if necessary.

I would guess you would be happier with some white pine for your inside siding and there is usually some logs available in that area from other logging jobs. The problem with Aspen fron that area at least is in my experience when you saw it the surface gets the fuzzies. Not sure how you would like that for inside walls.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Raphael

Quote from: Sprucegum on May 18, 2010, 09:39:15 AM
The easiest way to get your mill to the cabin - drag it behind your bulldozer  ;)  :D

I can carry mine in on my shoulder.  ;)
Of course the saw, fuel and accessories are separate trips.
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

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